Utilization of wireless communication systems to communicate telephonically has achieved wide popularity in recent years. Both voice and data information can be communicated telephonically through the use of such systems.
Because a wire line connection is not required to effectuate telephonic communication, communication by way of a wireless communication system is possible at a location to which formation of a wire line connection would be impractical or impossible.
Various cellular communication systems have been developed and implemented throughout large geographical areas. Large numbers of subscribers to such cellular networks are able to communication telephonically when positioned in areas encompassed by such cellular networks. Cellular communication networks have been developed and implemented utilizing, e.g., FDMA (frequency division multiple access), TDMA (time division multiple access), CDMA (code division multiple access) techniques, and various combinations of such techniques.
A user communicates with the infrastructure of a cellular communication network through the use of a radio telephone, sometimes referred to as a mobile station. The mobile station receives down link signals on a forward link and transmits up link signals on a reverse link. Thereby, two-way communications are provided between the infrastructure of the cellular network and the mobile station.
A mobile station is generally constructed in a manner such that its user interface mimics, to a great extent, operation of a conventional, wire line device. For instance, when a user originates a call at the mobile station, the user enters the number of the party which is to be called in manners analogous to the entry of the numbers identifying the party to be called in a conventional wire line system. And, when a call, originated elsewhere, is to be terminated at a the mobile station, the mobile station generates a ringing tone, or otherwise annunciates, that a call is to be terminated at the mobile station.
The mobile station generates the ringing tone, or other annunciation, responsive to transmission to, and reception at, the mobile station of a paging signal. In some cellular networks, the paging signal is transmitted upon a control channel to which the mobile station is selectively, and automatically, tuned. While control signaling, transparent to a user of the mobile station, also occurs responsive to reception at the mobile station of the paging signal, the user accepts the call in a manner analogous to a user of a conventional wire line telephone. In some mobile stations, a terminating call is accepted by actuating a receive key on an actuation keypad.
When the call is accepted, the ringing tone is stopped, and telephone communications commence on the forward and reverse links formed between the mobile station and the infrastructure of the cellular network.
Because of the mobility provided by a mobile station, the mobile station can be carried by a user to locations at which calls have not traditionally been terminated. Because of the ability now to carry a mobile station to almost any location, there is a need to ensure that a call terminating at the mobile station does not result in a ringing tone generated to annunciate the termination of the call at the mobile station at a level of loudness which is inappropriate for the location at which the mobile station is positioned. For instance, when the mobile station is positioned at a location at which there is little background, or other ambient, noise, there is generally little need to generate a loud ringing tone to annunciate the terminating call. Conversely, when the mobile station is positioned at a location at which there is a significant level of background, or other ambient, noise, the ringing tone can be of an increased level of loudness to facilitate a user's detection of the ringing tone.
A manner by which to select the loudness of the ringing tone, or magnitude of other annunciation, which annunciates the reception of a paging signal at a mobile station would therefore be advantageous.
It is in light of this background information relating to terminating a call at a mobile station that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.